Ford has teamed up with ride-sharing providers Uber and Lyft on a data-sharing project that aims to help cities reduce congestion and emissions and make it easier for people to get around.
The collaboration is part of Bloomberg’s SharedStreets, a new platform for sharing information about city streets.
Ford’s commitment includes developing a universal data standard for kerbside demand and availability, allowing cities to price and manage kerb space in real-time.
Uber and Lyft will provide vehicle speed data which could be used by cities to redesign streets and save lives. They will also jointly develop a framework for sharing kerbside pick-up and drop-off statistics, to help city leaders understand where for-hire vehicle trips are in the greatest demand.
Together, the data sets pledged by the companies will provide the public and private sectors with new tools to manage kerb space in order to reduce congestion and emissions, improve the efficiency of city streets, and save lives by preventing traffic crashes, the partners said.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for business and government to work together to rethink transportation,” commented Jim Hackett, president and CEO of Ford. “Collaborating through initiatives such as SharedStreets will enable us to use vehicles, road systems and data together to create a new roadmap for mobility. We are working toward a future where all cities are smart and kerb space is actively managed, increasing efficiency and safety, while reducing driver stress and pollution.”
“Ride-share and auto companies have been gathering an enormous amount of data on transportation and traffic,” added Michael R. Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City. “Now, cities will be able to use it to find new ways to manage congestion, reduce carbon emissions, prevent traffic crashes, and prepare for the arrival of autonomous vehicles.”
Tags: intelligent transport, Transport
